Gas flame regulator



Dec,'21, 1948. F. B. OLE

GAS FLAME REGULTOR Filed July 24, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheej'.l 1'

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lll/M N Nn F. B. COLE y .GAS FLAME' REGULATOR Dec. Z1, 1948.

2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed July 24, 1945 Patented Dec. 21, 1948 VU N l TED STATE S N T 10 F FIDE .GASFIiAME REG-ULATQR 'gErankruoe Cole, `VAshevillefN, 0.

-Application.July24, 1945, Serial No..606,7.98

.'52 .Claims.

This invention relatesatouadomestic ggasvburner vand particularly to .an y`automatically operated burner for home use wherein the 4placing .of fa .cooking pan on the burner openstthe mainggas supply `and thereafter vreduces ,the gas .supply `at ,Y

the time the contents oi .themen -reaohxthe .boiling point.

An object of the invention is to constructcook- Ving gas burners which will lnitiallypgive .alarga hot ilame and thereafter automatically y.restrict ,the flame so as to lconserve gasandprevent :the initial hot flame from .continuing in operation.

A iurtheroloiect of the .invention .is-to provide a thermostatic control for -a domestic :cooking burner which will automatically .curtail the Jilow of gas to the burner when :thematerialbeing heated reaches the boiling-point. It is well known that after a pot voiliquiciI .for instance,.has'been brought to the boiling point thatit isxdesirable .to

curtail the gas flow so thatthe contents'will not boil over .and `after the boiling .point .has .been

`reached a `comparatively..small yllame .will-maintain this boiling temperature.

In the drawings: y

Fig. 1 is a vertical `section :showing ponentparts of the cookingfburner,.andtheautomatic and manual means ,for controlling .thezgas supply thereto;

Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section ltaken Online 2-2 .of Fig. 1, showing thegas chambers -andcrosssection of the main andauxiliary gasvlalvesgand Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken-online ;3.-3 of Fig. l throughtheauxiliarysupply val-,veand ,illustrating rthe position of the v.,thermostatie 0D- erated cut-off therefor.

Specically in =the drawings, .numeral I :indicates a lgas supply pipe of-the type -.custoinari1y .inlet pipe 3 is a gas disohargepipe il having its outer end terminating in alprimary air-manifold `I3.of conventional construction-where airis added thereto and the mixture oflalrfand gaspassedgto a ring-like chamber l5 havingagzplurallty of air .c ombustionznozzles or openings 'l1 arranged `in r the upper portion thereof andlbelow the-pansupporting grid J9. This grid lI8 isrof conventional .construction and is of the `usualqopen nnserty-pe used in domestic cooking stoves for supporting a pan or skillet above the burner.

Mounted through an opening in the upper wall the oom- .oi the Iiras `.chamber 5 `is .an externally .-fscieiv threaded hollow bushing 2| having a centr-#1115' `disposed .internal peripheral flange or I:shoulder 23. .A .vertical and reciprocal 'central `tubular member '25 is adapted to `lne-inserted withixitthe `circularopening formed` bythe internal-.shoulder .23.' YTheuiiiieren'd .of the cylindricalmemberi is preferably flared at21 `and normallyproiects slightly beyond the upper .surface .of :the .pensupportinggrid i9, `so .that when` apaniaplaced .on the grid tccntacts the end .of the flared-filer tion 21- of cylindrical member.ziandtheiweight thereof .presses the. cylindrical .member ,2.5 :downwardly `against the tension of `concentric; spring 29, whichis mounted between .a rwasherorgpin .3l 4vsecured to the outside of the -cylindricaltmember 25 .and the vstep Vi3 .formed ley-.the vupper surface of .the .internal .shoulder l2.3. zTo storm .-aggaertht vlit around .the casing 25 apacking .35 isgplaced within the bushing .2| on `thedovver `side yof -lthe Vinternal .shoulder .23 and .maintained .in remis .sealing .but non-binding relation while .permit- .tngslidingmovement of the cylindrical tubezl by a threaded bushing 31. A ilaledvalve :head .disc r39 isthreadedinto the lower-endet .thertube 25 and `isnormally maintained meas .sealingrrelation againsta beveled seat oropeningdl termed .inthe horizontal,partitionplate 1, by :theupward .action of spring ,29,

`enlarged bulbousend 44 lling ftheailed portion .contains mercury brother expansiteriluidvendzis constructed ofvmaterial o fsuchductility thatfits lower unrestrained portion :will .readily i'lex :and

Jfollow 4the ymovement ,imparted to .central cylinf .drical .casing 25 `when :the y.casing .is ,depressed .The .opposite `.end Hof the vcapillary or :mercury ,filled tube` `45 kterminates :within a -disheshaped `plate .5I Whichnis-heldrin horizontalpositionlifby ybrackets 53 lcoltedrto the horizontal partition i1 andide wall of :the casing5. -The capsuletor `container provided by plate .15 ll has a 'flexible-.dine .phragm or cover55secured -to the plate so that upon Yexpansion of ythe mercury .or other :fluid Within :the capillary pipe .45 `theziieldble y5dia- Iplunged-..55 :will .be Vbowed or lexpanded outwardly. .The dish-.shaped plate 5I andthe 'flexiblerlia- Vphragm :55 Vfunction las 1.a 'diaphragm rm-otor. Mounted above. the center/of fthe diaphragm fr ism.. hollow valve :stem `5"y linserted through a threaded bushing 59 in horizontal partition l. The hollow valve stem 51 has an open tapered sealing head or disc 6I thereon for engagement with the lower edge of screw threaded nipple 63 carried by hand set knob 65 threaded through threadediiange 61 also threaded into kan opening in the upper wall of casing 5. yThe hollow valve stem 51 is normally maintained in fully open position through the medium of outer coni. centric spring 69 bearing against a lower flange 1| ailxed to the end of the valve stem and pressing aainst the lower end of threaded bushing 59. This downward movementl is limited by a ,114 to increase the uid volume thereof.

4 and increase the volume of the mercury or other fluid in the bulb 44 and central exible pipe 45. The volume of the uid is such that at approximately the timethe contentsr of the cooking receptacle ,""ireachfes the desired f cooking point enough heat will have been absorbed by the bulb This occurs to such an extent that pressure will be created: in the capsule formed by plate 5I to expand .or bulge the diaphragm 55 and contact "the lower end of the auxiliary valve 6I to force pin or washer 13 secured to the outer surface of Y the hollow valve stem 51, and abuts the upperv surface of the threaded bushing 59. A plurality` of gas discharge outlets 15 are provided in the hollow 'f-valve stembelow the horizontal 'parti- -tion 1.

The subdivided chamber 5 provides a gas inlet chamber supplied yby the nipple 3, a gas outlet @chamber connected by the pipe II and manifold I 3to the combustion ring I5, and an intermedi- :ate chamber passing gas received from the hol- -vlow-valve 'stem' 51 to the valvedisc 39.

= To protect andinsulate the bulbousend 44 of the mercury tube 15, the space between theinner tube or casing 43 and the outer tube or casing 25 is preferably backed with mineral wool'or other heat insulating material 11, so that the capillary tube'45 will'not besubjected to the intense heat "created by the gas openings I1 but only the enlargedy end 'will receive radiant heat energy from the bottom of the cooking vessel, whereupon vthe-uid in the mercury tube will expand and bow upward theV exible diaphragm 55 `of the capsule-5I, and force the hollow valve stem 51 upwardly into partially restricted relationv with [the depending nipple 63 to control but not close off the flow of gas as the nipple 63 has been adjusted to prevent this.

' In operation the gas supply in manifold l. passes 'through' conduit 3 into the upper portion ofthe .the gas controlled'from gas line I into the casing 5 by inserting a suitable valve (not show n) in inlet pipe 3. After a cooking receptacle is placed on the grid I9, its weight against the upper'fiared 'end 21 will open the valve 39 and permit the gas to ow therethrough and out through gas discharge pipe II into the air intake manifold I3, :whereupon the mixture of air and gas will `flow into the ring burner casing I5 and routwardly through orifices I1 and strike the bottom of the panresting on the grid I9. A suitable pilot with .a rsnapvalve is shown diagrammatically at 19 for initially igniting a small ow of gas mixture which passes out of hollow bushing 8|, and this pilot llame will propagate and ignite the main supply of gas flowing through openings I1; It will be appreciated that when the valve 39 is initially actuated there is a comparatively large amount of gas ilowing through the burner and lconsequently a voluminous and hot ame-is generated below the receptacle. As the contents thereof rise in temperature radiant heat from the bottom' lof the cooking vessel will influence the mercury in bulb 44 to increase its temperature 263-65, may be left in open adjusted position and 50 the same upward 'to restrict the ow of gas passing therethrough. The initial volume of gas is 'controlled by manipulation of the valve operator 65 so Athat it is a comparatively simple matter for,

thefoperator to' adjust the auxiliary valve flow to restrict the flowl of gas therethrough but still permit su'icient gas lto come through to keep the vcontents of the receptacle boiling, 4and thus `no gas'is wasted and the cooking receptacle is kept ata sufliclently high temperature to accomplish the proper cooking purposes. f

' f I claim 1.I In 'a domestic lgas burner, a perforated circular combustionchamber, avcooking pot supporting grid positioned in sp-aced relationk above the 'said combustion chamber, a normally closed reciprocable valve controlling the flow of gas to vsaid `combustion chamber, said valvei having r-a tubular stem passing through the circular -comzbustionchamber' andextending above the supporting grid whereby thestem and valve thereon vare depressed' and the valve' opened when a pot ris placed on the said grid, asecond normally `open valve-arranged inv spaced relation to the y'first mentioned valve-and controlling the now vof gas to the 'first mentioned valve, a heat responsive expansive fluid containing chamber positioned to move the second mentioned valvewtoward'fclosed position' when the iluidtherein in- "creases in volume, and a exible, expansible fluid lled tube 'communicating with 'the said expansive fluid containing chamber and extending throughout the vlengthr ofthe said tubular stem in such a manner that the upper end of saidtube is subjected to Iradiant heat from the bottom of `a cooking pot ont the supporting grid. l

2. A gasvburner 'as'dei'lned in claim 1 wherein the "flexiblef'expansible fluid lled tube is provided with an enlarged f end portion and the major part of the tube is centrally mounted in zs'aiclhollowstem and surrounded by heat insulating `material whereby'only the enlarged end lportion isi'in-fluenced by-'the heat transmitted fromthe. bottom ofthe cooking vessel.

n FRANK BRUCE COLE. REFERENCES CITED The'followingreferences are of record in the 

